LONDON — They’re not furry animals, they’re neither male nor female and they don’t have cutesy names.
London 2012 organizers unveiled the Olympic and Paralympic mascots Wednesday — one- eyed creations from the digital age named after two small English towns.
Officials predicted that the mascots — Wenlock and Mandeville — will be a big hit with kids and help inspire young people to get involved in Olympic sports.
“We’ve talked to lots of children and they don’t want cuddly toys,” London 2012 organizing committee chairman Sebastian Coe said. “They want something they can interact with and something with a good story behind it.”
The two mascots are based on a story by children’s author Michael Morpurgo, in which they are formed by a welder from the last drops of steel from the girders of the Olympic Stadium in east London.
Wenlock wears the Olympic rings as friendship bracelets, and its head is formed in the shape of a medals podium. Mandeville’s head is shaped like a bicycle racing helmet. Each mascot has a single eye in the middle of its face representing a camera lens that will capture their experiences on the way to 2012.
Created by marketing agency Iris, each mascot will have its own Facebook and Twitter page.
